An Alternative Plan to the Chinatown Megajail
Below is a press release following our June 2, 2025 press conference to unveil an Alternative Plan to the Chinatown Megajail at 125 White Street.
Community Unveils Alternative Vision for Former Tombs Site: A Plan for Housing, Open Space, and Scaled Justice
‘This Marks a Turning Point. The Community Now has a Viable Plan and the City has a Choice.’
New York, NY — Elected officials, local advocates, and concerned residents gathered today at 150 Centre Street to unveil a community-driven proposal for the site formerly known as the Tombs. In light of the City Council’s mandate to close Rikers Island and transition to a borough-based jail system, this new plan presents a compelling, community-responsive alternative that aligns with citywide justice goals while safeguarding Chinatown’s future.
For months, local stakeholders—including neighborhood residents, architects, and elected officials—have collaborated to develop a thoughtful, balanced vision: one that preserves the integrity of Chinatown, scales justice infrastructure to fit the neighborhood, and reclaims public land for deeply affordable housing and open space.
Since the city first proposed a massive “mega-jail” at this site, residents have consistently asked to be included in the planning process. They have called for a smaller, more humane facility and have demanded that their voices—especially those of seniors, families, and small business owners—be reflected in the final design. Yet to date, not a single community recommendation has been adopted, and the city’s top-down plan continues to advance.
This alternative proposal relocates the Manhattan borough-based jail to the currently vacant Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) on Park Row. It converts the 125 White Street site into affordable housing, a public plaza, and community-serving retail. It represents not just a shift in policy, but a long-overdue recognition that the people who live in Chinatown must help shape its future.
The following elected and community leaders have voiced strong support for the community’s alternative plan for the site.
Jan Lee, NUBC: The plan we unveiled today reflects what the community has been asking for all along: more affordable housing, and a real voice in what happens to our neighborhood. We’ve made it clear from the beginning—we understand the city’s goal to close Rikers and to place a borough-based jail in Manhattan. But that can’t come at the expense of our health, safety, or future. This proposal replaces the tallest jail in the world with hundreds of units of affordable housing and reimagines the empty Metropolitan Correctional Center through adaptive reuse.
Yes, there’s still uncertainty around the federal facility, but what’s certain is this: we now have local elected officials who are willing to work with us, not around us. That makes this proposal not just timely—it makes it necessary for moving the conversation forward.
Borough President Levine: The conditions on Rikers Island are unacceptable, and should shock the conscience of New Yorkers, and now the failures of the current and past administrations in carrying out the plan for borough-based jails has created a new set of challenges--an impossible timeline, capacity shortfall, budget overruns, and disrespect of local communities, said Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine. “While there are undoubtedly serious hurdles in front of this proposal, I am open to any idea, particularly one that includes housing, that speeds this process up while ensuring that local stakeholders and communities have meaningful opportunities to provide input in the future of their neighborhoods.
Assemblymember Grace Lee: The Chinatown community has come forward with a clear and thoughtful vision — one that closes Rikers without destroying their neighborhood. I stand with them in calling for real community engagement, the relocation of the proposed jail to MCC, and the transformation of the current site into deeply affordable housing. The people who live here deserve a seat at the table — not to be sidelined while decisions are made about their future.
NYC Councilmember Chris Marte: Instead of moving forward with an over-budget, oversized, and behind-schedule mega-jail in the heart of Chinatown, we should prioritize building affordable housing that our city desperately needs. We can close Rikers Island without sacrificing Chinatown’s community, all while ensuring that we create more affordable homes for New Yorkers who need them most. The existing Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) building can be repurposed to meet the need for a smaller jail, ensuring that we fulfill our obligations while allowing for the creation of much-needed affordable housing for families in the heart of the city. Closing Rikers Island should not come at the expense of our neighborhoods—it’s about making smart, compassionate decisions that benefit all New Yorkers.
State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal: The placement, scale and potential environmental impacts of what would be the world's tallest jail is extremely concerning. This is an issue of equity. Chinatown is a neighborhood that should be protected as a fragile ecosystem rather than used as a dumping ground for unpopular municipal projects. It is critical that elected officials and local advocates continue to work in collaboration to serve as a watchdogs and fight for an alternative plan to reduce the harmful impact on Chinatown and instead uplift and protect the Chinatown community.
NYC Councilmember Keith Powers: The new, alternative plan is an opportunity to put the Chinatown community in the center of the conversation about what happens in their neighborhood. With a new federal monitor in place, it’s a prime opportunity to discuss the ongoing plans in Chinatown with the community at the table. I ask the city and state agencies to review the plan immediately.
NYC Councilmember Julie Won: 185,525 Asian Americans in New York City live below the federal poverty level. The city should build affordable housing in Chinatown and move the proposed Manhattan jail to the vacant Metropolitan Correctional Center. I will continue supporting our neighbors in Chinatown as they call for a community-driven vision for their neighborhood. An investment in affordable housing is an investment in the health and well-being of all New Yorkers.
NYC Councilmember Shekar Krishnan: The Mayor continues to delay the closing of Rikers Island, despite what the law says and despite a federal court appointing a monitor because of the inhumane conditions there," said Council Member Shekar Krishnan, District 25. "While we begin to move away from the moral stain on our conscience that is Rikers Islands, we must take seriously community-based proposals that also champion increasing affordable housing and green spaces. That’s why this proposal, put forward by communities most affected in the plan for the Chinatown borough-based jail, must be considered carefully and their voices heard.
NYC Councilmember Linda Lee: As our city moves into the early stages of implementing the borough-based jail model, it is essential that the process is shaped by meaningful community input. The proposed site, located in the heart of Chinatown, threatens to displace small businesses, senior housing, and valuable green space relied upon by residents. Establishing a large-scale detention facility here would add further strain to a community still recovering from the economic impacts of the pandemic. I commend Welcome to Chinatown and the local leaders who have identified an alternative location that already has the infrastructure to support such a facility. I strongly urge the Mayor’s Administration to reconsider its current plan and to develop a strategy that reflects the voices of the thousands of residents who will be directly affected.
Andrew Yang: Chinatown is a persistently marginalized community that deserves to finally be heard in this process.
Evelyn Yang: It is insanity to spend $3.8 billion to build one of the world’s tallest jails in the middle of Chinatown, when what this community desperately needs is affordable housing. Now we finally have an opportunity to get it right.
Jon Alpert, Multi-Emmy Award Winner and Co-Founder of DCTV: Sunlight yes. Solitary no. Parks yes. Prisons, no. Housing and healthcare yes, handcuffs no. Arts yes, arrests no. Invest in community, not in incarceration. That’s what will make everyone safe. The last thing we need is a pork barrel “jailscraper” prison and the corrupt people who promote it.
Retired Judge and former Councilmember Kathryn Freed: Chinatown has had to deal with many broken promises from the city and has received very little of what it truly needs. This plan provides a brilliant solution — a great opportunity to bring desperately needed affordable housing to the Chinatown community, while using available, unoccupied space to help address the problems associated with Rikers Island.
